Interesting point about the pills, too. My AW takes about 20 prescription medications. I recently heard a story on the radio about how pharmaceutical companies recruit doctors to push their pills for them.
I think AW's case may be exacerbated by her OCD and hypochondriac tendencies. Over the years, she's gone to the doctor for every little ache or pain, and the doctors have been all too glad to prescribe a new pill for it. She also takes medicines for her psychiatric problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. This pharma cocktail may have made her more vulnerable to alcohol; who knows? She's a mess, either way.